Kiss
by Gone Random
Summary: Carol makes her move. One shot.
1. Chapter 1

**The Walking Dead isn't mine.**

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She regretted it almost at once. The way he froze. The sound he made when he exhaled. And that breath only released when she had stepped back from him. It was a shaky, whimper of pain. Barely audible. His head was cast down now and she knew she should go. That he wanted to be left alone.

Embarrassment flooded her. They were on watch together, but she could make some excuse. Someone could replace her. Or not. Daryl would be fine on his own. She felt certain he only required her absence to regain his footing. Carol brought a hand to her cheek in an attempt to cool the flush there.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. She longed for some way to laugh it off. To make it a joke between them. But all that seemed lost to her now. She had ruined it. She'd kissed him, finally, and had been so sincere about it. She cringed inwardly and pondered throwing herself at a walker just to escape this awkward hole she'd dug for herself.

"Why?" He asked then, just as she had turned to leave.

Carol closed her eyes in shame. She didn't want to spell it out for him. Particularly after he'd already rejected her. What was the point?

"Does it matter?" She asked, trying to sound lighter than she felt. "Don't worry, I won't do it again." She turned back to look at him and offered a smile and a shrug.

He stared back at her, bringing his thumb up between his teeth. "I thought you was joking. About fooling around."

Carol had never felt so foolish. Her thoughts involuntarily went back to that last day with Axel. She'd been enjoying his company, which had surprised her. She supposed once she'd realized he was harmless, she'd gotten used to him. And she had enjoyed the attention. He'd been sweet to her. It was flattering and for the first time in a very long time she'd swelled with feminine pride. It had been near impossible to keep the grin from her lips or the swing from her hips. But always, always, her thoughts had turned to Daryl.

Even gone, like he had been, her heart had saved a place for him that left no room for poor Axel. He took every rejection like a gentleman, never truly expecting her to reciprocate. Carol saw now what a squandered chance that was. How many opportunities were there left for affection? For pleasure? Was she really going to waste every moment waiting for love?

She loved Daryl. Had for a long time. She was never sure if he felt anything for her beyond friendship. She wondered if he was shy. Which is why she got her nerve up to make the first move. She'd imagined that if she broke the ice, he'd, well, she'd imagined a lot of things. Alone at night, in the dark. She'd imagined mostly that he'd hold her. Not to save her from her walker daughter and not to carry her up and away from death. No. She wanted to be held by someone who loved her. Wanted her. And believed her to be the most precious thing in the world. In the harsh light of rejection she could see now that Daryl hadn't ever done anything for her that he wouldn't have done for anyone else. He was a good man.

"Sorry." Carol repeated uselessly. "I guess the loneliness got to me."

He looked at her with continued puzzlement. "Lonely?" He questioned.

"Yes, lonely, Daryl." Carol said, starting to become irritated. She'd apologized and promised never to touch him again. Why was he dragging things out? Was this humiliation meant to be punishment? "I'm alone in the group. I'm not like you. I need human contact. I need to be comforted. I need to feel..." She cut herself off. "Maybe lonely was the wrong word." She huffed, angry at herself for nearly saying it. She wouldn't beg to be loved. "Maybe I should have said horny. Would you understand that?"

Daryl took a step back and crossed his arms. His eyes darkened. He looked angry now too. "If you wanted a fuck you could have just said." He spat.

"And how would that work? Since my kiss nearly sent you running?" Carol asked. She leaned back against the railing of the tower and waited, curious.

"I ain't running no where. You're the one trying to get away from me." He accused.

"I'm mortified." She declared. "I thought maybe I'd save us both further embarrassment by getting out of your way."

"I know I ain't any good at that stuff." Daryl said, ducking his head. "But I don't want you to be sorry."

Carol frowned, confused. "I said I was sorry because it was clear to me that you didn't want to be kissed. I shouldn't have pushed myself on you like that."

Daryl shook his head and fiddled with an arrow that was suddenly in his hand. "Got no problem fucking. But I know you. We're, well... I don't know how to do the softer stuff."

Carol could see the colour creeping into Daryl's cheeks at this admission. His eyes hadn't left the arrow that his fingers were nearly tearing apart.

"That's okay." Carol said softly, needing now to put him out of his misery. "Let's just forget it. No harm done." Maybe they'd even be able to laugh about it after a day or two. Or a year, if they lived that long.

She pushed herself off the railing and moved to walk past him, toward the door, when his hand shot out and grasped her wrist. She paused, looking back at him. Waiting.

"Don't want to forget it." He rasped. They stood frozen like that for a moment, unsure of what to do. Finally Carol pulled her arm through Daryl's fingers so that he was now holding her hand. She squeezed and felt him tighten his hold in response.

"Maybe I could give it another try?" Carol suggested, finding her courage again. She was rewarded by a fleeting half smile and then the sudden warmth of Daryl standing in her space.

This time when she reached up, he bent down and met her half way.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm not continuing this story, but I thought it might be fun to flip the perspectives. Hope you enjoy.**

**The Walking Dead isn't mine.**

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Fuck. Hadn't even been talking or nothin'. Just standing there, but he could do that with Carol. Felt comfortable around her. Then she touched his arm, as if to get his attention, but when he turned she was right there, in his space. And then her mouth was on his.

And he fucking froze like a little school girl. Couldn't breathe. Could be it was a heart attack. God damned thing was like to burst out of his chest. Didn't take but a moment and she backed off. He let out a painful breath and willed his heart to calm the fuck down.

He couldn't look at her. He wished his heart would fucking stop beating so he wouldn't have to ever look at her again. Fuckin' pussy. Carol was the best part of this world and he knew it. Felt it. He brought his lip in between his teeth and tried to taste her.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

Course she was. Christ, what was she thinking? Was it a joke? Slumming it in the apocalypse? He didn't want to believe that. Didn't really believe she would laugh at him, even as he braced himself for it. His chest got tight again as anxiety battled against hope. She was turning to leave.

"Why?" He asked. He had to know. Had to keep her there. She stopped. Hesitated for a moment.

"Does it matter?" She asked. Her voice sounded funny. "Don't worry, I won't do it again." Daryl's heart dropped to his stomach. She turned back and smiled at him. Shrugged. As if it wasn't a big deal. But her smile didn't meet her eyes and he was struck by the loss. He knew then he'd fucked up royally.

His thumb came to his mouth automatically and he chewed on his nail. He was confused and it was just dawning on him that he might have had this wrong for awhile now.

"I thought you was joking. About fooling around."

He thought back to all the teasing he'd let her get away with. She'd made him blush more than once. He'd done things with women he'd never admit to out loud, but Carol embarrassed him with shocking ease. It never once crossed his mind that she might have been serious.

The thought made him somewhat uncomfortable. He'd held on to this tender feeling he had for Carol. Kept it as something just for himself. Most things in his life had turned ugly in some way or another, so he felt very protective of this thing between them. Didn't want to spoil it. Certainly couldn't imagine putting his dirty hands on her.

Well, that wasn't the complete truth. He'd awakened from more than one dream that forced him out into the pre-dawn morning. It was jerk off or kill something and at least if he hunted they all ate. Hunting was a good distraction. Hell, walkers were an excellent distraction. Didn't have time to be worrying about wanting something he couldn't have. Something he didn't deserve. Carol had been through enough and didn't need some greasy redneck trying to get into her pants. So he worked hard to crush those thoughts.

And now she had kissed him. And he had to admit to himself that it all came down to him being a coward. Because he didn't know what to do with this tender feeling. Felt awkward as fuck around her. Because for the first time in his life he cared.

"Sorry." She said again. "I guess the loneliness got to me."

"Lonely?" He asked. He could understand that. Felt it often in his life. But he thought they had an understanding. They were in this together.

"Yes, lonely, Daryl." She said, suddenly sounding annoyed. "I'm alone in the group. I'm not like you. I need human contact. I need to be comforted. I need to feel..." She stopped for a moment. "Maybe lonely was the wrong word. Maybe I should have said horny. Would you understand that?"

Daryl took a step back from her and tried to control his sudden anger. The hurt. She still thought she was alone? And here he was like a fuckin' sap trying to get a hold of his feelings and she's just horny. Was he just convenient? Was he that guy? Merle would fuckin' laugh his ass off. Christ, make no wonder she was sorry. She was looking to screw and he couldn't manage a kiss. She'd have to go looking elsewhere. His head pounded at the thought.

"If you wanted a fuck you could have just said." He spat.

"And how would that work? Since my kiss nearly sent you running?" Carol asked. It was a fair question. Maybe if she had fuckin' warned him. Given him a chance to get a hold of himself. Christ. And he hadn't fuckin' moved, so what the hell was she talking about?

"I ain't running no where. You're the one trying to get away from me." He accused.

"I'm mortified." She declared. "I thought maybe I'd save us both further embarrassment by getting out of your way."

Daryl felt his anger subside and knew this had been his fault. She was just trying to find some way to live in this dead world. It wasn't her fault that he didn't know how to be with someone like that. Wasn't her fault that he was scared.

"I know I ain't any good at that stuff." Daryl said, ducking his head. "But I don't want you to be sorry." Hated that she was sorry for kissing him. He'd just fucked up the single best moment of his life.

Carol seemed to relax a bit. "I said I was sorry because it was clear to me that you didn't want to be kissed. I shouldn't have pushed myself on you like that."

Daryl grabbed an arrow just to have something to do with his hands. He needed to fix this. If he was ever going to look at her again, he needed to clear it up now.

"Got no problem fucking. But I know you. We're, well... I don't know how to do the softer stuff." He felt himself flush and continued to focus on the arrow. Had she heard him? Did she understand?

"That's okay. Let's just forget it. No harm done."

Like that was going to happen. She stepped away from the rail then and moved to leave. He wasn't ready. Without thinking his hand shot out and grabbed her arm. His fingers circled her wrist easily. She turned and looked at him. Her face was open. She had no expectations.

"Don't want to forget it." He managed to get out. He held his breath and waited to see what she would do. After a moment she wriggled her arm within his grasp so that he was now holding her hand. She squeezed his hand tightly. He returned the gesture. It seemed to be what she was looking for.

"Maybe I could give it another try?" Carol suggested.

Relief flooded him. Not wanting to screw up again, he stepped up to her immediately, bending down to meet her lips with his.


End file.
